Electrical switch with removable units



Feb. 7, 1961 Filed April 23, 1959 MICHAEL A. TABE T Q JuLL ATTORNEY United States Patent ELECTRICAL SWITCH WITH REMOVABLE UNITS Michael A. Tabet, Norfolk, Va., assignor to Tahet Manufacturing Company, Inc, Norfolk, Va., a corporation of Virginia Filed Apr. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 808,479

3 Claims. (Cl. 200-41) The present invention relates to an electrical switch assembly of the type which includes a plurality of wafer units each carrying switch means thereon with the wafer so arranged that any one may be readily removed from the frame and detached from a shaft for actuating the switch means and readily removed from operative association from terminal contacts carried by the frame.

A switch assembly of the type disclosed of my Patent 2,841,660 and in my application Serial No. 736,498, filed Ma 20, 1958, is in commercial use and it is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in the switch means carried by each wafer unit and to provide means in association with each wafer for improving action of the contact making and breaking arms of the switch means as such elements move over the face of each wafer.

Another object of the invention is to provide means in the form of a bar or the like extending from each multiple contact receptacle with the bar adapted to extend in the slot in the associated Wafer and to a position adjacent the periphery of the rotor to thereby fill the slot and facilitate movement of the wiper arms carried by the rotor over the face of the wafer during rotation of the rotor in shifting the switch to di erent circuit making positions.

Other objects and features of the invention will be appreciated and become apparent to those skilled in the art as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the accompanying drawing and the following detailed description wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of portions of a switch assembly exhibiting the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of one of the wafers showing the switch means thereon.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of one of the multiple contact receptacles.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 4-.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing one of the wafers in operative association with a multiple contact receptacle and the actuating shaft for the switch.

This invention is directed to an electric switch assembly which includes a frame with a shaft journalled on the frame for rotation. The shaft throughout the portion intermediate bearings therefor is of non-circular cross section and preferably has flat opposite sides for actuating the switch means carried by each of the wafer units. A portion of a frame for such a switch assembly is shown in Fig. 1 and includes a side member 10 having means on the inner face providing parallel arranged grooves 11. The frame includes two such side members which are maintained in spaced relationship by end plates one of which is shown at 12. The switch assembly includes a shaft 14 which is of rectangular shape in cross section and journalled on the end plates for rotation. The details of a suitable switch frame and the shaft mounting are more clearly disclosed in my application Serial No. 736,498, filed May 20, 1958. The side members 10 of the frame may be provided with a flange such as shown at 16 for supporting a plurality of multiple contact receptacles one of which is shown at 17. A multiple contact receptacle 17 is provided for each pair of transversely aligned grooves 11 and is thus in position so as to accommodate each wafer unit. The multiple contact receptacle 17 may be mounted on the frame in any suitable manner such as by means of bolts which extend through openings 18 in the end portions of each multiple contact receptacle.

The wafer units are removable from the frame and detachable from operative association with the shaft 14 and removable from engagement with the associated multiple contact receptacle 17. One of the wafer units is shown at 21. Each wafer unit includes a panel of plate shape formed of insulating material. One or both faces of each panel plates carries conductors 22 (Fig. 2) which may be applied by a suitable printed circuit method and these conductors extend to and terminate at an end edge 23 of each panel. The conductors 22 extend over the face of the panel and terminate in circumferentially spaced contacts 24 disposed about a circular opening 26 provided in the central portion of the panel. One of the conductors 27 extends into circuit relationship with a conductive ring 28 which may be applied to the face of the panel in any suitable manner such as by a printed circuit process.

The switch means carried by each wafer includes a rotor indicated generally at 3-1. The rotor includes two generally disc-shaped members 32 and 33 formed of insulating material. These disc-shaped members are arranged in face-to-face relationship and have a thickness substantially equal to that of the thickness of the panel 21 as shown in Fig. 3. The disc-shaped member 32 is provided with an annular flange 34 which overlies the face of the panel 21 around the perimeter of the opening 26. An annular flange 36 is carried by the disc-shaped member 33 and overlies the opposite face of the panel 21 in an area about the perimeter of the opening 26. Both disc-shaped members 32 and 33 may be provided with aligned radially disposed apertures which provide a slot 37 in the rotor. The slot 37 is for the purpose of accommodating the shaft 14 when the wafer unit is in position in the frame as shown in Fig. 1.

The rotor carries a plurality of wiper arms and one set is shown in Fig. 2. The wiper arms are formed of sheet conductive material and have resilient characteristics. One wiper arm 41 is for the purpose of engaging the contacts 24. The other wiper arms 42 and 43 are for the purpose of engaging the conductor ring 28. In an embodiment where conductors and contacts are pro vided on both faces of the panel 21 wiper arms would be provided at opposite sides of the rotor. In assembling the rotor the two disc-shaped members 32 and 33 are arranged at opposite sides of the panel 21 and moved into face-to-face relationship in the opening 26. Rivets 46 are then applied through openings in the disc-shaped members and these rivets serve to hold the disc-shaped members together and maintain the wiper arms on and in operative association with the rotor. The transverse dimension between the annular flanges 34 and 36 is such that these flanges overlie circumferentially portions of the panel around the opening 26 with slight clearance so that the rotor unit is free for rotation. The flanges 34 and 36 provide means preventing dislodgment of the rotor from the associated panel. The flanges 34 and 36 terminate to avoid obstruction of the slot 37 and notches 35 in the flanges provide open areas for the wiper arms.

. 43 are exposed at the exterior of the switch frame.

Each multiple contact receptacle 17 is provided with a plurality of terminals 48 which correspond in number to the conductors carried by a wafer unit. The terminals The multiple contact receptacles are of identical construction and include aligned elongated-apertures 49 and 51 as shown in Fig. 5. A contact element 52 for each conductor is provided along opposite sides of each elongated aperture 49 and -1 for being engaged by the end portions of the conductors 22 and 27 carried by the wafer units 21.

A feature of the invention includes means in the form of a bar or prong 56 carried by or formed integral with each multiple contact receptacle 17. The prong 56 projects from the mid-portion of the multiple contact receptacle as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The prong 56 is of rectangular shape in cross section and has a transverse dimension measured lengthwise of the multiple contact receptacle 17 so as to fit with slight clearance in a slot 58 formed in each panel 21. The slot 58 extends from the edge 23 to the periphery of the opening 25 and is for the purpose of accommodating the shaft 14 when the wafer unit is mounted in a position within the frame and during removal of the wafer unit. The prong 56 has a width measured transversely of the multiple contact receptacle 17 which is substantially equal to the thickness of the panel 21. Thus the prong 56 is adapted to be accommodated in the slot '58 so that opposite sides of the prong will be substantially fiush with opposite faces of the wafer unit and the prong 56 also substantially fills the slot 58.

In assembling the switch mechanism the rotor 31 of each wafer unit is oriented so that the slot 37 herein is aligned with the slot 58 in the associated panel. The wafer unit may then be introduced into the frame with opposite edges accommodated in and guided by the transversely aligned grooves 11 which are providedat the inner faces of the side members The shaft 14 prior to the introduction of the wafer units is arranged with its major dimension in a position shown in Fig. 1 so that the shaft 14 is accommodated in the slot 58 as the wafer unit is moved into the frame. The edge portions 61 and 62 of the wafer enter the elongated apertures 49 and 51 of the multiple contact member 17 and the shaft 14 is accommodated within the groove 37 in the rotor 31. The prong 56 is accommodated in and substantially fills the slot 58. The shaft 14 is then in operative association with the rotor 31 and the contacts and conductive ring 28 carried by the wafer unit are in circuit relationship with the contacts 52.

It will be observed from a consideration of Fig. 6 that the prong 56 terminates adjacent the periphery of the opening 26. Thus the wiper arm 42 and 43 during arcuate movement ride on the face of the prong 56. The wiper arm 41 also slides over the face of the prong '56. Rotation of the shaft 14 serves to rotate all of the rotors 31 of the respective wafer units when they are in position in the frame and with their conductors in engagement with the contacts 52 of the multiple contact receptacles 17. Any one or all of the wafer units may be withdrawn from the frame when the slot 37 in the rotor is in alignment with the slot 58. The prong 56 carried by the multiple contact receptacle 17 will escape from the slot 58 and the shaft 14 will be accommodated in the slot 58 during Withdrawal of the wafer unit from the frame while it is guided by the grooves 11..

While the invention has been described with reference to specific structural features and with regard to one general type of frame it will be appreciated that changes may be made in the various elements and modifications may be made in the overall organization. Such changes and others may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an electric switch assembly, a frame, a panel mounted for movements into and out of said frame, said panel having an opening therethrough and a slot extend ing from said opening to one edge of said panel, contacts arranged in circular outline on said panel circumferentially spaced from each other about said opening, conductors carried by said panel in circuit relationship with said contacts and extending to said edge of the panel, a member having contacts thereon mounted in fixed relationship with respect to the frame for engagement by said conductors, a rotor mounted on the panel for turning movements in said opening including wiper means for engaging said contacts, said rotor having a radially disposed slot therein extending to the periphery thereof adapted to be aligned with the slot in said panel, a shaft having flat sides supported for rotation on said frame extending through the slot in said rotor for turning the rotor, a prong on said member extending into and substantially filling the slot in said panel, and said prong having opposite faces flush with the faces of the panel.

2. In a switch assembly according to claim 1 wherein the prong terminates adjacent the periphery of the opening in said panel.

3. An electric switch assembly comprising, a frame, a panel of insulating material mounted for movements into and out of said frame, said panel having an opening therethrough and a slot extending from said opening to one edge of said panel, contacts substantially flush with the faces of the panel arranged in circular outline on said panel circumferentially spaced from each other around said opening, conductors carried by said panel extending from said contacts to said edge of the panel, a multiple contact member mounted on said frame, said member having aligned elongated apertures therein for receiving end portions of said panel adjacent said edge, contacts carried by said member within said elongated apertures for engagement by said conductors, a rotor mounted for turning movements in said opening including wiper arms for engaging said contacts, said rotor having a radially disposed slot therein extending to the periphery thereof adapted to be aligned with the slot in said panel, a shaft having flat sides supported for rotation on said frame extending through the slot in said rotor for turning the rotor, a prong on said member extending into and substantially filhng the slot in said panel, and said prong having opposite faces flush with the faces of the panel.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS her-"- 

